Snacks vs. treats/sweets - a clarification

Okay, ladies, sorry I wasn't clear about the whole "no snacking" issue. I don't mean no snacks between meals, because I fully believe a healthy snack is good for your body. What I meant by no snacking is no treats/sweets. (Probably in my mind a snack = treat, which is how I got to be 200+ pounds! :) In any case, modify your points accordingly. You can snack, but not have any treats or sweets or cheats.

My Before Picture

I sure can use any extra points, so I'm posting my before picture. This challenge has been good for me, and I realize how much unhealthy "snacking" I really do. I would get a little stressed out and eat a few M&Ms and then go about my day only to find that I had 5 "snacks" of M&Ms during the day. Now that I am catching myself I realize how much I would emotionally eat throughout the day. Thanks for starting this Denise.

Before Photo

Here is my before photo. This was on my vacation and we had tea in Summerville, SC. The place was called This Whole House and you can look it up online. So much fun. If you want to read my very long blog post about my fun trip, with lots of pictures, you can check it out at aubreyssugarandspice(dot)blogspot(dot)com. I want a second house in Savannah!!!

I am thinking more about what I'm eating and these small goals are perfect for me right now. I am 267 today. I was down to 263 after vacation and I was thinking--almost under 260. Gotta keep going. Exercise is hard for me. I am going to try to figure out how to make it work. Sleep is easiest, because I can't function without at least 6 hours. My autoimmune disease makes sure of that. I am doing good about being on a schedule because of school and the kids. Let's have a good week.

Ready Set Go

I am actually going to post a picture. I think this picture says it all. I have been hovering around 187-189 for a few months now. I am not going to be following the no snacking either as I believe in healthy snacks in the form of 6 small meals a day. I will be following the clean eating program (it's a book by a lady named Tosca Reno).

My hubby took me to Fleet Foot to buy some real running shoes yesterday and maybe that will help me be able to get of the pain I've been getting from running. I have exercised everyday since Monday and I think I'll probably take Sundays only off. The key for me is changing up the exercise. If I walk or run everyday I will plateau after a few pounds and get stuck again. So, I plan on running, doing P90X (it really works!), and doing some weight lifting as well. Good luck to you all girls!

Week #1

My personal goal is to stick with the McDougall Plan for 12 weeeks (www.drmcdougall.com). It is a lowfat, starch-based eating lifestyle. So fruits and veggies will be easy. No snacking will be hard. In fact, I don't think I am going to even try the no snacking thing. Cause then I would be uncomfortable hungry during most of the day. So I'll have to see how far I can get with aiming for 9 out of 10 points.

My starting weight is 136. I lost 7 pounds in June/July so I have 3 more to go to be at my prepregnancy weight or 11 more to go to get to my ideal/college weight. My 'baby' is 17 months old. My husband and I have 6 kiddos. The oldest is 16. But it is not about the weight, huh? I like the idea of having healthy living goals that are not all about weight loss.

One of my biggest challenges coming up this week is tomorrow night. I love big bags of movie popcorn and Robert and I are going to see UP! at the dollar theater for our Friday night date. I plan to chew gum :)

Here is my before picture taken on Monday. Let's all get some points!

Good luck, ladies!

Yes, I did invite men to join our challenge, too. In fact, one who didn't realize it was me who started the challenge thought it was a very good scam. Funny.

In any case, a couple of clarifications:
- Our weeks of points will go from Mondays to Sundays.
- Count your sleeping points on the day after you sleep (so yesterday you could get a point for how you slept the night before).

And those in the contest include:
- Gwen
- Denise
- Jenn
- Jennifer
- Christy
- Christina
- Barbara
- Aubrey
- Rachel ? (still trying to confirm for sure)

Did I miss anyone?!?

Good luck! If you don't get an e-mail inviting you to be an author on the site, let us know and we'll send it to you. That way you can create your own posts and include pics.

I'm in

Okay, so I will be honest here. I thought, I will just give $10 to make Gwen happy :) I want to do this, but it sometimes feels impossible. I did so well on my vacation. Oh yeah, I got to go to Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC. It was amazing and fun. Probably why I got home and had lost 3 pounds! I had fun and was busy.

And then, Back to reality. Back to a house that my 13 and 15 yr. old sons had trashed. Laundry, Laundry and more Laundry. Kids getting ready for back to school. Garage sale that meant great deals, but more stuff to organize and store. Cooking that needs to be done now before the veggies go bad. Cleaning the pantry. And I have barely made a dent. And my sister had to find a house to buy immediately. And I dropped everything to help her because she is my best friend and her problems are my problems.

I have gained :( As soon as the stress starts building, I start eating. It is my coping mechanism. I know, everyone says replace it. I try and fail. Why can I be a smart woman who can't figure this out???

But here is a goal to set. I will post the rules for points on my fridge and try to get started. Do you think the multiple servings of brownies that I ate (after a healthy yogurt) will set me back too much?